Chipotle Hid A Fourth Outbreak from the Public

Chipotle has been having a rough go of it lately. The organic-grub slinging chain has seen an unfortunate number of salmonella and e. coli outbreaks in the last couple of months. And while until now the company has been openly reporting these incidents—going as far as shutting down numerous locations and hiring an extensive two safety consulting team—it seems like they may have been hiding something from us after all.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

According to a new report from Oregon Live, while only three known outbreaks have occurred over the year, Chipotle has apparently been keeping a fourth under wraps. The incident—which was another e. coli episode that put two customers in the hospital—took place in late July. Chipotle took all the necessary steps to repair the situation—inspectors fully investigated the location and the employees, but a culprit was never found. Before Chipotle had a chance to inform the public, the outbreak had already ended.

Most Popular

Some find the secrecy a cause for concern—Bill Marley, a food safety litigator in Seattle, insists the chain has a, "responsibility to the public." But health officials who worked with the company during the outbreak are less concerned, explaining that, "Chipotle took all the steps we recommended, and, voluntarily, did even more." Perhaps, in this case, we'll give the chain a pass. They've got plenty of lawsuits to deal with in the meantime.